Godspeed John Woodvine

John Woodvine, who appeared on such television shows as Danger Man and The Avengers and such movies as The Devils (1971) and American Werewolf in London (1981), died on October 6, 2025, at the age of 96.

John Woodvine was born on July 21, 1929, in South Shields, County Durham. He attended Lord Williams's School in Thame, Oxfordshire. His national service was in the Royal Air Force. Afterwards, he was a clerk for a wool merchant. He studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In 1954, he joined the Old Vic, at which he appeared in several productions of Shakespeare plays. He made his debut on Broadway in 1956 in King Richard II. In the Fifties, he appeared on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Troilus and Cressida. He made his television debut in 1958 in a guest appearance on the TV show Murder Bag. He appeared on the shows Champion Road, The Terrible Choice, and The Haunted House. 

In the Sixties, John Woodvine had a regular role on the British police series Z Cars. He appeared on such shows as Danger Man, Boyd Q.C., Call Oxbridge 2000, Ghost Squad, Man of the World, Moonstrike, Sergeant Cork, The Plane Makers, The Villains, Crane, Diary of a Young Man, Coronation Street, Theatre 625, R3, Emergecy-Ward 10, The Liars, Pardon the Expression, ITV Play of the Week, Armchair Theatre, The Saint, The Baron, Turn Out the Lights, Conflict, The Further Adventures of the Musketeers, Softly Softly, The Avengers, The Champions, Who-Dun-It, The Wednesday Play, The Dustbinmen Thirty-Minute Theatre, and BBC Play of the Month. He appeared in the mini-series The Caesars. He appeared in the movies Darling (1965) and The Walking Stick (1970).

In the Seventies, he was a regular on the TV series New Scotland Yard. He appeared on the shows Softly, Softly: Task Force, Take Three Girls, Aquarius, The Shadow of the Tower, Churchill's People, Against the Crowd, Shadows, When the Boat Comes In, Hadleigh, Play for Today, Return of the Saint, ITV Playhouse, Doctor Who, BBC2 Playhouse, and The English Programme. He appeared in the mini-series Elizabeth R. and An Unofficial Rose. He appeared in the movies The Devils (1971), Young Winston (1972), and Assault on Agathon (1978).

In the Eighties, John Woodvine was a regular on the TV show Knights of God. He appeared on the TV shows Strangers, Squadron, Studio, Juliet Bravo, Swallows and Amazons Forever!: Cool Club, By the Sword Divided,  The Tripods, All Creatures Great & Small, Lime Street, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, The New Statesman, Rockliffe's Babies, Alli n Good Faith, Room at the Bottom, Les Girls, Screenplay,  Chelmsford 123, and The Chief.  He appeared in the mini-series The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Edge of Darkness, The Prisoner of Zenda, Deceptions, The Modern World: Ten Great Writers, Melba,  and A Tale of Two Cities. He appeared in the movies An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Spaghetti House (1982). He appeared on Broadway in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

In the Nineties, he had a recurring role on the TV show Runaway Bay. He appeared on the shows Jackanory, The War of the Roses, An Actor's Life for Me, Spender, Civvies, Medics, Demob, Screen Two, Finney, Harry, Crown Prosecutor, Performance, Heartbeat, Doctor Finlay, A Perfect State, Peak Practice, and Verdict. He appeared in the mini-series Tell Tale Hearts, A Pinch of Snuff, and Faith. He appeared in the movies Wuthering Heights (1992), Leon the Pig Farmer (1992), The Trial (1993), and  Dragonworld (1994).

In the Naughts, John Woodvine appeared on the shows Midsomer Murders, The Secret, Paradise Heights, The Brief,  Shameless, Distant Shores, Holby City, Doc Martin, The Bill, Casualty, Sold, Never Better, Emmerdale Farm, and Coronation Street. He appeared in the movies Vanity Fair (2004), Miss Potter (2006), The Midnight Drives (2007), Flick (2008), and  Burke & Hare.

In the Teens, he appeared on Midsomer Murders, Doctors, Hebburn, Vera, The Musketeers, and The Crown. He appeared in the mini-series Decline and Fall. His last screen appearance was in the movie Enys Men (2022).

At least in the United Kingdom, John Woodvine may have been best known for playing police officers. After all, he played Inspector Witty on Z Cars and Inspector Kingdom on New Scotland Yard, as well as playing police officers in various guest appearances. Of course, he played much more than cops. In An American Werewolf in London, he played  Dr. J. S. Hirsch, the surgeon who treats David (David Naughton) following an attack by a werewolf. He guest-starred on The Avengers four times, most notably as the sinister Robert Stone in "The Murder Market." He guest-starred on Danger Man three times (once on the half-hour version, twice on the hour-long version). In the episode "Judgement Day," he played a member of a terrorist group. He was the chief villain in the Champions episode "The Search," playing an unreformed Nazi who infiltrates a nuclear submarine along with his men. He played many different roles on many different British TV shows through the years. There should be little surprise as to why he was so prolific. Quite simply, John Woodvine was a very talented, very versatile actor. 

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Today I had planned to eulogize English actor John Woodvine, who appeared on such shows as The Avengers and Doctor Who and such movies as Young Winston (1972) and An American Werewolf in London (1981). Unfortunately, life has had other plans. I have had a severe cold (or maybe it's the flu) since Wednesday. And then today I learned Diqne Keaton, who is one of my favourite actresses of all time, has died. My nose was already stuffy and now it's even worse from the short bout of crying over Mis Keaton. I will then eulogize John Woodvine, John Lodge of The Moody Blues, and Diane Keaton next week. In the meantime, I will probably curl up in bed.

Three Spanish Language Songs That Reached the Billboard Hot 100

From the beginning of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958 until the end of the 20th Century, the vast majority of songs to reach the chart were in the English language. That is not to say that songs from other languages did not reach the chart from time to time. From August 8, 1958, when the chart started, to the end of the century, nine different Spanish language songs hit the chart, ten if one counts the fact that two different versions of the song reached the chart. Here are three of those songs. Here I want to point out that in each of these cases the artists were Americans.

"La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens: Ritchie Valens's version of "La Bamba" was not only the very first Spanish-language song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, but the first Chicano or Latino song, period. Although Ritchie Valens's version is considered a rock 'n' roll song, it is actually a traditional song that could go back to the late 17th Century. It was often performed at weddings and its lyrics could vary considerably. "La Bomba" had been recorded before Ritchie Valens recorded his version.  El Jarocho recorded a version that was released in Mexico in 1938. 

As to Ritchie Valens, he was a Chicano born in San Fernando Valley. He had leaned the song when he was very young from a cousin. It was in 1958 that he recorded a version of "La Bamba" infused with rock 'n' roll. The song proved to be a hit, going to no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 1 on the Canadian chart. It was in 1987 that a biopic based on Ritchie Valens's life was released. Titled La Bamba, it featured a version of the song recorded by Los Lobos. This version actually went to no. 1 on the Billboard  Hot 100.

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"Guantanamera" by The Sandpipers:

"Guantanamera" literally means "the woman from Guantánamo." It is a Cuban patriotic song. The lyrics came from a poem by Cuban poet José Martí and the music has been attributed to Cuban singer and songwriter Joseíto Fernández. While it is unclear when the song was first recorded, it was Joseíto Fernández who popularized the song on radio, reportedly performing it as early 1928. American folk group The Weavers performed "Guantanamera" at their reunion concert at Carnegie Hall in May 1963. Afterwards Pete Seeger included the song on 1963 album We Shall Overcome. The Sandpipers based their version on The Weavers' arrangement. They released it as a single and it proved to be a hit going to no, 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. 



"Oye Cómo Va" by Santana

"Oye Cómo Va" did not originate with Santana, nor was it a traditional song whose origins were shrouded in mystery. Instead, it was written by the legendary Tito Puente and released on his album El Rey Bravo in 1963. IT would go onto become of Tito Puente's more popular songs, and he would record several live versions over the years. The rock band, led by Mexican American guitarist Carlos Santana, recorded their version for their second studio album, Abraxas. The band had already performed the song several times at concerts and it had proven popular with audiences. Santana's version of "Oye Cómo Va" had more of a rock flavour, as opposed to Tito Puente's original jazz version. Santana's version went to no. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. 


"Oye Cómo Va" would not be the last Spanish language song to hit the Billboard Hot 100 in the 20th Century. And the 21st Century has seen even more Spanish language songs hit the Hot 100, although it is still rate for them to make the top ten. As the century progresses, one has to suspect there will be many more. 

The Late Great Patricia Routledge

Patricia Routledge, who starred as Hyacinth Bucket ("It's Bouquet") on the classic Britcom Keeping Up Appearances and  the title role on Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, died on October 3, 2025, at the age of 96. She also appeared in the movies To Sir, With Love (1967) and It It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium (1969).

Patricia Routledge was born on February 17, 1929, in Birkenhead, Cheshire. She attended Birkenhead High School and then the University of Liverpool. After graduating with a degree in English language and literature, she trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She began her professional career at the Liverpool Playhouse in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1952.  She made her television debut in an episode of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre in 1954. During the Fifties, she appeared on stage in productions of The Duenna at the Bristol Old Vic and Westminster Theatre, The Comedy of Errors at the Arts Theatre in London, Zuleika at the Saville Theatre in London, The Love Doctor at the Piccadilly Theatre in London, and Follow That Girl at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. She appeared on television in the shows Theatre Night and BBC Sunday-Night Play. 

In the Sixties, she provided the voice of Sara Harbuck in Wait Until Dark (1967). She appeared in the films To Sir, with Love (1967), Pretty Polly (1967), 30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968), The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968), Lock Up Your Daughters! (1969). and If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium (1969). She appeared on television on Coronation Street; Z Cars; Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life; No Hiding Place; Gaslight Theatre; ITV Play of the Week; NET Playhouse; Thirty-Minute Theatre; Seven Deadly Sins; ITV Saturday Night Theatre; Armchair Theatre; and ITV Playhouse. She appeared on stage in such productions as Come as You Are at the Guilford, Out of My Mind at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith; Little Mary Sunshine at the Comedy Theatre in London, Virtue in Danger at the Mermaid Theatre and Strand Theatre in London, How's the World Treating You? at  the Arts Theatre and Wyndham's Theatre in London and the Music Box Theatre, New York City, Darling of the Day at the George Abbott Theatre, and Love Match at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, The Caucasian Chalk Circle. 

In the Seventies, Patricia Routledge appeared in the mini-sties Sense and Sensibility, David Copperfield, and Nicholas Nickleby. She appeared on the TV shows Doctor at Large, His and Hers Ooh La La!, Affairs of the Heart, Steptoe and Son, ...And Mother Makes Five, BBC Play of the Month, Jubilee, The Cost of Living, BBC2 Play of the Week, Crown Court, and Play for Today. She appeared in the movie Girl Stroke Boy (1971). She appeared on stage in such productions as First Impressions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, The Cherry Orchard at the Bristol Old Vic, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City, The Rivals at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and The Pirates of Penzance at the Delacorte Theatre in New York City. 

It was in 1990 that Patricia Routledge began playing Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances. During the Eighties, she also stared on Marjorie and Men and had a recurring role on Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV. She appeared on the TV shows Objects of Affection, The Two Ronnies, Tales of the Unexpected, Sophia and Constance, Let's Face the Music, and Alias Smith & Jones. She appeared in the mini-series Talking Heads. She appeared on stage in such productions as Noises Off at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith and the Savoy Theatre in London, Richard III and Henry V with the Royal Shakespeare Company,  and Candide at the Old Vic in London.

In the Nineties, Patrica Routledge continued to appear on Keeping Up Appearances. She played the lead role in Hetty Wainthropp  Investigates, a role she had originated in the 1990 TV movie Missing Persons. She appeared on the TV shows Bookmark, Noel's House Party, and Talking Heads 2. She appeared on stage in such productions as Carousel at the National Theatre in London, The Rivals at the Chichester Festival Theatre and Albery Theatre in London, and Beatrix at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester.

In the Naughts, she narrated the children's show Blips. She appeared in the TV movies Anybody's Nightmare and she narrated In Search of the Brontës. She appeared on stage in such productions as The Solid Gold Cadillac at the Garrick Theatre in London, The Best of Friends at the Hampstead Theatre and on tour, and Crown Matrimonial on tour. 

I have to think that Patricia Routledge will always be bets remembered as Hyacinth on Keeping Up Appearances, and with good reason. She fully realized the character of Hyacinth, the domineering social-climber who is nonetheless from a lower class background. It is because of her that Keeping Up Appearances was BBC Worldwide's most exported programme ever. Of course, Hyacinth was not the only role Patricia Routledge ever played. She also played Hetty Wainthropp, the housewife-turned-detective with a penchant for solving mysteries and a good deal of common sense. In To Sir, With Love, she played the supportive, experienced teacher Clinty Clintridge. She appeared briefly as tour guide Mrs. Featherstone in If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium. In the Tales of Unexpected episode "The Verger," she played the sharp-witted wife of a verger dismissed from his job. In the Steptoe and Son episode "Seance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard," she played the dodgy medium Madame Fontana. Patrica Routledge was an incredibly talented actress with a particularly impressive career. 

Puerto Rican Character Actor Alberto Morin

Over the years, United States territory has produced its share of famous actors. Olga San Juan, José Ferrer,  Rita Moreno, Henry Darrow, and yet others came from Puerto Rico. Along the actors who originated in Puerto Rico was Alberto Morin. Although many movie and television viewers won't recognise his name, they most certainly would recognise his face. He appeared in movies from Gone with the Wind (1939) to The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) and TV shows from I Love Lucy to Cagney & Lacey.

Alberto Morin was born Salvador R. López on December 26, 1902, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He made his film debut in the movie Beau Sabreur in 1928. He spent much of the Thirties playing small uncredited roles in such movies. His role as Rene Picard, the Frenchman from Louisiana Who marries Maybelle Merriwether in Gone with the Wind (1939), was actually one of his bigger roles during the decade. Curiously, although he was Puerto Rican, Alberto Morin often found himself playing Frenchmen and assorted other non-Latino ethnicities. Much of this was not simply due to Mr. Morin being a master of accents, but because he spoke seven languages (including Spanish and English) fluently. 

Alberto Morin's fluency in multiple languages came into good use during World War II when he served in the OSS. It was while he was serving in the OSS that he met director John Ford. At the time, John Ford was an officer in the United States Navy. Following the ear, Alberto Morin would appear in three of John Ford's movies. He played a lieutenant in Rio Grande (1950), a French resistance fighter in When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950), and a manager in The Wings of Eagles (1957).

As a character actor, Alberto Morin's roles in movies varied widely, from those that were on for mere minutes to those who had much more time. In Casablanca (1942), he played the French officer who insulted Yvonne (Madeleine Lebeau). In The Asphalt Jungle (1950), he played grocer Eddie Donato, where Doc (Sam Jaffe) and Dix (Sterling Hayden) hide out following their heist. Among his bigger movie roles was General Leclaire in Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970). His final role was in The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), in which he played one of the "Senile Brigade," a group of old men who provide comedy relief throughout the movie.

Alberto Morin's roles on television were often larger than the ones he played in films. An example of this is the I Love Lucy episode "The French Revue" he played Robert DuBois, a French waiter who tries tutoring Lucy in the language. He had earlier guest starred on Carlos in the episode "Cuban Pals." He guest starred in three episodes of Dobie Gillis, the best of which may be "For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls." He played Captain Lopez, the skipper of a ship who wanted to performance a marriage ceremony at least once in his life. In the Batman episode "The Thirteenth Hat"/"Batman Stands Pat," he played eccentric sculptor Octave Marbot. In the My Three Sons episode "My Son the Bullfighter, he played the Spanish teacher Professor Madora. 

Alberto Morin was a versatile actor who played a wide variety of roles. Indeed, he was so convincing as a Frenchman that at least one book of which I know described him as "a Puerto Rican and French actor.." His proficiency in languages from French to Italian certainly came in use during his career. While he may not be as well-known as fellow Puerto Ricans Rita Moreno and José Ferrer, he was certainly memorable.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Turns 70

It was on this date seventy years ago, on October 2, 1955, that Alfred Hitchcock Presents debuted. It is one of my favourites shows of all time, I am not sure how many times I have seen its entire run. It is one of those few shows in which I cannot think of a single bad episode, although I am sure that there has to have been at least one.

 I wrote a fairly detailed post on Alfred Hitchcock Presents years ago, so I won't do so again. If you want to read that post, you can do so here. I also wrote about one of my favourite episodes for this year's Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon. You can read all about "Arthur" here. 

The 70th Anniversary of the Sitcom The Honeymooners

Despite having run only a single season, The Honeymooners is counted among the greatest television situation comedies of all time. While many sitcoms, particularly those that ran only one season, disappear af the end of their network runs, the 39 episodes of The Honeymooners have been run continuously since the show ended its original run on CBS. It was 70 years ago today, on October 1, 1955, that The Honeymooners debuted on CBS.

The Honeymooners centred on New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) and his wife Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows). Ralph often wants a better life and, as a result, comes up with various get-rich-quick schemes. He has something of a temper, although underneath all the bluster he is a soft-hearted man who loves his wife and his best friend. Of the couple. Alice is the level-headed one. She manages their finances. She responds to both Ralph's schemes and his tantrums with sarcasm, and even though Ralph often ignores her advice, she is more often than not right. Ralph's best friend is Ed Norton (Art Carney), a New York City sewer worker. He is rather good-natured and carefree, and often gets involved in Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes. His wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph) was Alice's best friend and tended to dominate Ed at times.

The Honeymooners originated as a series of sketches on the DuMont television show Cavalcade of Stars. Cavalcade of Stars was originally hosted by Jack Carter and then Jerry Lester. It was on July 15, 1950 that Jackie Gleason became the show's host. Jackie Gleason had been the show's host for little more than a year when he and  Harry Crane and Joe Bigelow came up with a sketch inspired by the popular radio show The Bickersons. The sketch would centre on a couple who argued, but in the end loved each other deeply. Jackie Gleason wanted the sketch to be a somewhat realistic depiction of a poor married couple living in Brooklyn. Such titles as The Beast, The Couple Next Door, and The Lovers were considered before they settled on The Honeymooners.

The first Honeymooners sketch aired on Cavalcade of the Stars on October 5, 1951. In that first sketch, Jackie Gleason played the role of Ralph Kramden, while Alice was played by Pert Kelton. Art Carney appeared in that sketch, but as a police officer rather than Ed Norton. Eventually, the characters of Ed and Trixie Norton would be added to the sketches. Ed was played by Art Carney from the beginning, but Trixie was originally played by Elaine Stritch. Elaine Stritch was replaced after one appearance because her style of humour was too much like Jackie Gleason's. Joyce Randolph then took over the role. Mr. Gleason had noticed her in a commercial for Clorets. 

A bigger cast change in the sketches would be the replacement of Pert Kelton by Audrey Meadows. Pert Kelton and her husband were listed in Red Channels, a document purporting to list alleged Communists and fellow travellers in the entertainment industry. She remained on Cavalcade of Stars for some time after being listed in Red Channels, but she was ultimately removed from the sketches in January 1952. Audrey Meadows had appeared on Broadway in Top Banana and had been a regular on The Bob and Ray Show. When she tried out for the role of Alice, Jackie Gleason initially rejected her because he thought she was "too pretty." She then had a photographer take pictures of her with no makeup, with her hair a mess, wearing an old housecoat. She posed in a kitchen with a frying pan. The photos convinced Jackie Gleason to cast Audrey Meadows as Alice.

In the summer of 1952, Jackie Gleason's contract with DuMont was set to expire. It was then that CBS lured him away from the smaller network with a significantly higher salary. It was on September 20, 1952 that The Jackie Gleason Show debuted on CBS. Given their popularity, it should come as no surprise that The Honeymooners sketches made the transition to the new network. If anything, on The Jackie Gleason Show, the sketches proved even more popular than they had been on Cavalcade of Stars. Running from seven to thirteen minutes in the first season of The Jackie Gleason Show, by the show's second season Honeymooners sketches were running as long as half an hour. By the third season, some episodes of The Jackie Gleason Show were entirely dominated by Honeymooners sketches. Mostly because of The Honeymooners sketches, The Jackie Gleason Show ranked no. 2 in the ratings for the year during its third season, surpassed only by I Love Lucy. 

It was the continued popularity of The Honeymooners sketches that led to the classic sitcom. With Jackie Gleason's three-year contract with CBS set to expire, CBS and the Buick division of General Motors offered Jackie Gleason an even bigger contract, reportedly worth $11 million. The contract required Jackie Gleason to produce 78 episodes of the sitcom The Honeymooners over two seasons. There was also an option for a third season of 39 episodes. During the first season, he would receive $65,000 per episode in the first season and then $70,000 per episode in the second, although he was required to pay for all production costs out of that money. Jackie Gleason was not the only one who profited from the deal for a new Honeymooners sitcom. Art Carney received $3,500 per week, while Audrey Meadows received $2000 per week. On top of this, she also insisted on residuals for the series, so that in the end she became rich from the show. Joyce Randolph, who didn't appear in every episode, received $500 per episode.

The Honeymooners was filmed live in front of a studio audience at the DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre in Manhattan. Episodes were filmed with a minimum of rehearsing, as Jackie Gleason thought rehearsals would rob episodes of spontaneity. Episodes were shot using the DuMont Television Network's Electronicam. In the days before videotape, Electronicam was a system that made capturing live performances on film easier. In the end, recordings of The Honeymooners would have better sound and picture quality than other live shows shot using kinescope.

As The Honeymooners portrayed a poor, working-class couple, it featured the most basic of sets. The Kramdens' apartment was sparsely furnished. What is more, it apparently had only two rooms. There was the main room that was used as a living room, dining room, and kitchen, and then the bedroom, which was never seen.  Jackie Gleason wanted it to resemble the Chauncey Street apartment in which he had grown up. The Norotns' apartment was similar, although they had a few more amenities. While Ed Norton made the same amount of money as Ralph, he was also notorious for paying things on credit.

The sitcom The Honeymooners was lighter in tone than the original sketches, particularly in their early days. Particularly in the earliest sketches, not only was Ralph Kramden bitter about his station in life, but also about being married. Alice was quarrelsome and abrasive. Once Audrey Meadows was cast as Alice, the sketches became less mean-spirited and more sentimental, evolving into something closer to the sitcom. 

Given that the Classic 39 episodes of the sitcom The Honeymooners are not only considered superior to The Honeymooners sketches that came before and after them, but the sitcom The Honeymooners is among the greatest sitcoms of all time, it might seem surprising today that the show's reviews were initially mixed to positive. John R. Callaghan in his October 20, 1955 "Words and Music' column in the Press-Telegram from Long Beach, California stated, "There are those who feel that Gleason dropping his full-hour live variety show in favor of the half-hour Honeymooners on film has lost something...including some viewers." The New York Times described the show as, "...even not likely to worry Frank Sinatra or Dinah Shore." If anything, the trade publication Broadcasting & Telecasting was even more critical, writing, "The Jackie Gleason Show died October 1. Services haven't been held yet, but the body's cooling. Barring some rejuvenation by CBS, it's only a matter of time." TV Guide gave the show a positive review, referring to it as "a rollicking, slapsticky, fast-paced situation comedy..." No less than Steve Allen liked the show, writing in his 1956 book The Funny Men, "The Honeymooners is as wonderfully funny as ever...."

Viewers also seemed to have a mixed reaction to the sitcom version of The Honeymooners. The show started strong in the ratings upon its debut, but slipped in the Nielsens as the season passed. It perhaps did not help that it was scheduled against high-rated The Perry Como Show, which ranked no. 18 for the season. In the end, while The Jackie Gleason Show had ranked no. 2 in the ratings during the previous season, The Honeymooners ranked a still respectable no. 19 for the year. Indeed, the ratings were good enough that the show probably would have had a second season. It was Jackie Gleason, rather than CBS, who brought the show to an end. 

After producing "the Classic 39," Jackie Gleason felt that he and his team had run out of original ideas for the show and that he and his writers simply could not keep on producing scripts at the quality that they had. It was then with the 1956-1957 season that Jackie Gleason returned to his hour-long variety show, of which The Honeymooners sketches would continue to be a part. 

As to the sitcom, it accomplished something very few single-season shows have ever accomplished. It had a successful run as a syndicated rerun. It aired on WPIX in New York, WFLD in Chicago, KTLA in Los Angeles, KDFI in Dallas,  and many other television stations across the United States through the years. It would later air on such cable channels as TBS, TV Land, WGN, and yet others. It currently airs on the digital broadcast networks MeTV and Catchy Comedy. 

For many years, while the "Classic 39" were being endlessly repeated on local television stations, new Honeymooners sketches were being produced on Jackie Gleason's shows. Over time the casts in these new sketches would change. It was in 1966 that Sheila McRae took over the role of Alice from Audrey Meadows and Jane Kean took over the role of Trixie from Jane Randolph. It was in 1990 that Audrey Hepburn hosted The Honeymooners Anniversary Special, which featured clips from the show and interviews with Art Carney and Joyce Randolph. Jackie Gleason had died in 1987.

While the sitcom The Honeymooners only had moderate success upon its debut, through repeated airings on television over the years it has since become regarded as a classic. That is not to say that the show has not had some criticism over the years. The show has been criticized for Ralph's lines, "One of these days ... One of these days ... Pow! right in the kisser!" and "To the moon, Alice!," often uttered while he was arguing with Alice. At least since the Eighties, these lines have been viewed as offensive, and even as demonstrating an acceptance of domestic violence.  In a 1985 interview with CBS News, Audrey Meadows addressed the lines, mentioning that "He never did touch her. There was no violence there. It was his way of letting off steam, and that's it." At the same time, she admitted that the lines would not work anymore. Some have pointed out that even when Ralph made such threats, Alice never backed down. Quite simply, she knew he would never carry out such threats, as the two loved each other far too much. Indeed, one of Ralph's best-known catchphrases, uttered as he embraced his wife, was, "Baby, you're the greatest." 

The Honeymooners has left behind a considerable legacy. DC Comics published 12 issues of Jackie Gleason and The Honeymooners from 1956 to 1958. Warner Bros. produced three animated theatrical shorts parodying The Honeymooners: 'The Honey-Mousers" (1956), "Cheese It, the Cat!" (1957), and "Mice Foolies" (1960).  The Hanna-Barbera animated series The Flintstones drew upon The Honeymooners to such a degree that Jackie Gleason later said that he had considered suing Hanna-Barbera, but did not do so because he didn't want to be known as "the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air." The sitcom The King of Queens owed some inspiration to The Honeymooners. It has been parodied on everything from Moonlighting to The Simpsons. In 2005 a feature film based on the show, starring Cedric the Entertainer as Ralph and Mike Epps as Norton, was released. 

Since its debut, The Honeymooners has come to be regarded as one of the greatest shows of all time. In 2002, TV Guide ranked it at no. 3 on their list of their "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time," after Seinfeld and I Love Lucy. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America included it at no. 31 on their list of the 101 Best Written Shows of All Time. IGN included The Honeymooners at no. 71 on their list of the Top 100 TV Shows of All Time. The Honeymooners may not have been a huge success upon its debut, but it has since come to be regarded as one of the greatest all-time shows. People will probably still be watching it 60 years from now.